Lock with internal retainer

ABSTRACT

A locking assembly has two members which are moveable into coupling engagement with one another. The two members have lock engaging walls, and one of the members has an opening between the lock engaging walls for receiving a lock. The lock comprises a lock body and a retainer. The lock body has a channel for receiving a portion of the retainer. An end of the retainer extends underneath a retainer engaging wall, thus resisting movement of the lock out of the opening.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0001] The present invention relates to a lock assembly for securing twocomponents together, and more particularly, to a lock comprising a lockbody and a retainer housed within the lock body to retain the lock bodyin a locked condition.

[0002] It is often desired to secure two members together. For example,earthmoving and excavating equipment often employ wear members toprotect the equipment from abrasion and wear encountered during use. Thewear members are preferably removably attached to the equipment with alocking assembly, so that a wear member may be removed and replaced asneeded. An example of such a wear member and associated locking assemblyis disclosed in Jones, et. al, U.S. Pat. No. 5,241,765.

[0003] The continuing problem is to provide a locking assembly whichsecurely locks the wear member to the equipment so that the wear memberremains in place during operation, but yet which allows the wear memberto be easily removed and replaced when worn. The wear member issubjected to extreme forces during operation which the lock must becapable of resisting. In addition, the wear member and lock are exposedto rocks, soil fines, mud, grease, and other debris and contaminants.These materials may be impacted into the spaces between the wear memberand the lock, thus creating substantial difficulties when attempting toremove the lock from the wear member.

[0004] Jones, et. al, U.S. Pat. No. 5,241,765 disclose a locking devicehaving a lock body that pivots into an opening in a wear member, and aresilient latch to retain the lock body in the opening. Because the lockmust pivot and/or translate laterally within the opening to be removed,any material such as soil fines which becomes impacted into the spacesbetween the lock body and the wear member may interfere with removal ofthe lock body.

[0005] Renski, U.S. Pat. No. 5,564,508 and Renski, U.S. Pat. No.5,806,216 disclose a lock comprised of an arcuate retainer held withinan arcuate slot. A variety of mechanisms are disclosed that prevent theretainer from being removed from the slot, including a pin and severaldifferent types of springs. Removal from the slot requires that the pinor spring be pried away, which may be difficult in the presence ofimpacted fines.

[0006] What is therefore desired is a lock that may be used to securelyretain two members together, such as retaining a wear member in place,that is preferably tolerant of the presence of soil fines, that canwithstand extreme forces exerted against it during operation, but thatis nonetheless easily withdrawn to allow the two members to be quicklyuncoupled.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0007] The present invention overcomes the drawbacks of the prior art byproviding a lock assembly for retaining two moveable members withrespect to one another. The lock assembly includes a lock comprised of alock body and a retainer which fits within the lock body to resistmovement of the lock body away from the two members which are lockedtogether.

[0008] In a first aspect of the invention, a lock assembly includes afirst member, a second member, and a lock. The first member and thesecond member are moveable longitudinally with respect to one anotherinto coupling engagement. The first member and the second member haverespective engaging surfaces to resist transverse movement of the firstmember and the second member with respect to one another when the firstmember and the second member are in coupling engagement. The firstmember and the second member each have a lock engaging wall. The secondmember defines an opening between the lock engaging wall of the firstmember and the lock engaging wall of the second member when the firstmember and the second member are in coupling engagement. The openingreceives the lock to resist longitudinal movement of the first memberwith respect to the second member. The lock comprises a lock body and aretainer. The lock body defines at least one channel in communicationwith a side of the lock body. The retainer is at least partiallyreceived within the channel, so that at least a portion of the retainerextends beyond the side of the lock body and interferes with removal ofthe lock body from the opening.

[0009] In a separate aspect of the invention, a lock is providedcomprising a lock body and a retainer. The lock body is rigid, andsubstantially incompressible. The lock body is generally block shaped.The lock body defines an opening and a pair of channels in communicationwith the opening and in communication with opposite sides of the lockbody. The retainer has a hinge portion and a pair of legs, each having arespective end. The hinge portion is receivable within the opening andeach of the pair of legs is receivable within a respective one of thepair of channels. The ends of the legs extend beyond the sides of thelock body.

[0010] In another separate aspect of the invention, a method is providedfor locking a first member to a second member, where the first memberand the second member are moveable longitudinally into couplingengagement. The method comprises the following steps. A lock comprisedof a lock body and a retainer is provided. The first member and thesecond member are provided with respective engaging surfaces to resisttransverse movement of the first member and the second member withrespect to one another when the first member and the second member arein coupling engagement. The first member and the second member are eachprovided with a lock engaging wall. An opening is defined in the secondmember between the lock engaging wall of the first member and the lockengaging wall of the second member when the first member and the secondmember are in coupling engagement. The lock is inserted into the openingto resist longitudinal movement of the first member with respect to thesecond member. A channel is provided in the lock body in communicationwith a side of the lock body. The retainer is inserted into the channelof the lock body so that a portion of the retainer extends beyond theside of the lock body to resist transverse movement of the lock body outof the opening.

[0011] The various aspects of the invention provide several advantages.First, the invention substantially reduces, if not eliminates, theproblem of soil fines interfering with removal of the lock. The lockdoes not require displacement of soil fines within the opening in thewear member in order to be removed. To remove the lock, the retainer isremoved from the lock body, which then allows the lock body to berotated or pulled out of the opening in the wear member. The lock bodytravels along a path that allows the lock body to exit the openingwithout compacting or displacing soil fines. The lock body can be reusedmany times by simply adding a new retainer, which renews the engagementmeans of the lock and makes it essentially as strong as a completely newlock. Yet another advantage is that the majority of the retainer ishoused within and protected by the lock body, and thus may be formedfrom a light-weight material. The lock is also vibration resistant, dueto the light-weight retainer.

[0012] The foregoing and other objectives, features, and advantages ofthe invention will be more readily understood upon consideration of thefollowing detailed description of the invention, taken in conjunctionwith the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS

[0013]FIG. 1 shows a perspective exploded view of a lock, wear member,and base member.

[0014]FIG. 2 is a plan view of the assembly of FIG. 1.

[0015]FIG. 3 is a side sectional view of the lock of FIG. 1 beinginserted into an opening in a wear member, showing the retainer beinginserted into the lock body.

[0016]FIG. 4 is a side sectional view like that of FIG. 3 showing thelock inserted into the opening in the wear member, and the retainerinserted into the lock body.

[0017]FIG. 4A is a view like that of FIG. 4 of an alternativeembodiment.

[0018]FIG. 4B is a view like that of FIG. 4 of yet another alternativeembodiment.

[0019]FIG. 5 shows a side view of an alternative embodiment of aretainer with a reinforcing member shown in phantom view.

[0020]FIG. 6 shows a perspective view of an alternative embodiment of alock body.

[0021]FIG. 7 shows a perspective view of another alternative embodimentof a lock.

[0022]FIG. 8 shows a side sectional view of the lock of FIG. 7 beinginserted into an opening in a wear member.

[0023]FIG. 9 shows the lock of FIG. 7 inserted into the opening in thewear member.

[0024]FIG. 10 shows yet another alternative embodiment of a retainer.

[0025]FIG. 11 shows a perspective exploded view of a tooth systemcomprising a point, a nose, a lock body and a retainer.

[0026]FIG. 12 is a perspective view of the assembled tooth system ofFIG. 11.

[0027]FIG. 13 is a partial cross-section taken along line 13-13 of FIG.12.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0028] The present invention relates to a locking assembly for securingtwo members with respect to one another, such as a moveable orreplaceable wear member with respect to a fixed base member. The presentinvention finds application in many different types of situations inwhich it is desired to couple or secure two members with respect to oneanother. For example, the present invention may be used to secure wearmembers to excavating or mining equipment, such as a wear member to theexterior of a bucket, wear members to stationary equipment, points toadapters, etc.

[0029] Referring now to the drawings, wherein like numerals refer tolike elements, FIG. 1 shows an exemplary assembly 10 comprising a basemember 12, a wear member 14, and a lock comprising a lock body 16 and aretainer 18. The base member 12 is attached to the exterior of thesurface 20 to be protected, such as an exterior surface of a draglinebucket or other earthmoving or excavating equipment. The wear member 14slidably attaches to the base member 12 so as to protect the underlyingexterior surface 20. In order to prevent the wear member 14 fromslidably detaching from the base member 12, the lock body 16 is insertedinto an opening 22 in the wear member 14. The retainer 18 prevents thelock body 16 from falling out of the opening 22. Removing the retainer18 allows the lock body 16 to be removed from the opening 22, thusallowing the wear member 14 to be removed and replaced when necessary.

[0030] Turning now to the base member 12 and wear member 14 in moredetail, the base member 12 and wear member 14 define a generallylongitudinal direction depicted by the arrow A in FIGS. 1 and 2. As usedherein, the term “longitudinal” is used in the sense of movement of thewear member and base member with respect to one another when beingcoupled together. Both the base member and wear member have respectiveengaging structures to resist transverse movement of the wear member andbase member with respect to one another when the wear member and basemember are coupled together. “Transverse” movement is movement that isperpendicular to “longitudinal” movement, and out of the opening, asshown by arrow B in FIGS. 3-4.

[0031] As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the base member 12 has a plurality ofprotruding rails 24 on either side. The rails 24 are spaced apart fromthe surface 20, and define a pair of slots 26 between the rails 24 andthe surface 20. The wear member 14 has a corresponding pair of rails 28,which define a pair of elongate slots 30 extending longitudinally withinthe wear member 14. The rails 24 of the base member slide into the slots30 of the wear member 14, while the rails 28 of the wear member 14 slideinto the slots 26 of the base member 12. The shapes of the respectiverails and slots of the base and wear members thus provide aninterlocking engaging structure with opposing surfaces when the basemember and wear member are coupled together that prevents transversemovement of the two members with respect to one another when the twomembers are assembled.

[0032] While a particular arrangement of rails and slots is shown in theembodiment of FIGS. 1-4, other engaging surfaces may be provided toprevent transverse movement of the two members with respect to oneanother. The lock of the present invention may be used with any of theengaging structures depicted in U.S. Pat. No. 5,241,765, the completedisclosure of which is herein incorporated by reference. Thus, whileFIG. 1 shows the interlocking rails and slots extending along only aportion of the length of the two members, the interlocking structure maybe provided along the entire length of each of the two members. Ingeneral, any tongue and groove engaging structure may be used. Theengaging structure may be generally T-shaped in cross-section, as shownin FIG. 1, or may be dove-tail shaped. Similarly, the engagingstructures may be those disclosed in Renski, U.S. Pat. No. 5,564,508,the disclosure of which is herein incorporated by reference.Alternatively, engaging surfaces could simply be the interior andexterior surfaces of the two coupled members, respectively, such as inthe case of a point and adapter.

[0033] Returning to the exemplary embodiment of FIGS. 1-4, the basemember 12 and wear member 14 also each have lock engaging surfaces toprevent longitudinal movement of the base member 12 with respect to thewear member 14. For example, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the wear member14 has a lock engaging wall 32. Likewise, the base member 12 has acorresponding lock engaging wall 34. As shown in FIG. 2, the lockengaging wall 32 of the wear member 14 is longitudinally spaced apartfrom the lock engaging wall 34 of the base member 12 when the basemember 12 and wear member 14 are coupled together. While FIGS. 1 and 2show the lock engaging walls 32 and 34 being perpendicular to thelongitudinal direction, the walls may be set at another angle relativeto the longitudinal direction. All that is required is that the walls belongitudinally spaced apart so as to be capable of receiving a lock bodytherebetween.

[0034] The wear member 14 defines an opening 22 for receiving the lockbody 16. The opening is located on the wear member such that it isbetween the lock engaging surface 32 of the wear member 14 and the lockengaging surface 34 of the base member 12 when the two members arecoupled together. To prevent the base member 12 and wear member 14 frommoving longitudinally relative to each other and detaching from oneanother, the lock body 16 is inserted into the opening 22. As shown inFIG. 2, the lock engaging wall 32 of the wear member 14 engages the lockbody 16, preventing the wear member from moving rearward out of couplingengagement with the base member 12. (“Forward” refers to movement intocoupling engagement, while “rearward” refers to movement out of couplingengagement.) The lock body 16 is prevented from moving longitudinallyrearward by the lock engaging surface 34 of the base member. In theembodiment of FIG. 2, the wear member 14 is prevented from movingforward due to the engagement of the end 35 of the base member and therear internal wall 33 of the wear member. Alternatively, the lock may beinserted between two longitudinally spaced-apart base members. Forexample, FIG. 4B depicts two longitudinally spaced-apart base members 12a and 12 b, each having a lock engaging surface facing the lock body 16.(In FIG. 4B the retainer 18 is oriented perpendicularly to the directiondepicted in FIG. 2.)

[0035] Turning now to the lock, the lock consists of a lock body 16 andretainer 18. As shown in FIG. 1, the lock body 16 is generallyblock-shaped, having a generally rectangular solid shape correspondingwith the shape of the opening 22. Referring now more particularly toFIGS. 3 and 4, the lock body 16 defines an upper opening 38 and a pairof channels 40 in communication with the opening 38. The lock body 16 issufficiently sized so that when inserted into the opening 22 as shown inFIG. 4, it will engage both the lock engaging wall 34 of the base memberand the lock engaging wall 32 of the wear member. The lock body 16 ispreferably made from an incompressible material, such as steel. However,in applications where the base member 12 and wear member 14 are notsubject to substantial thrust forces, other materials may be used forthe lock body 16. While the figures depict a block-shaped lock body,other shapes may be used for the lock body 16, it being only necessaryfor the lock body 16 to resist movement of the base member 12 and wearmember 14 with respect to one another. Thus, the lock body may becylindrical, wedge-shaped (trapezoidal), or arcuate.

[0036] The present invention achieves its advantages by employing aretainer 18 to hold the lock body 16 in the opening 22. The channels 40communicate with respective sides 36 of the lock body 16. The retainer18 has two legs 42 extending generally away from one another. In oneembodiment, a flexible hinge portion 44 interconnects the two legs 42.The flexible hinge portion 44 is received within the upper opening 38 ofthe lock body 16, while the legs 42 fit within the two channels 40.

[0037] Referring now particularly to FIG. 4, when the retainer 18 isinserted into the lock body 16, the retainer 18 retains the lock body 16in the opening 22 of the wear member 14. As shown in FIG. 4, the legs 42of the retainer are slightly longer than the channels 40 of the lockbody 16. The ends 46 of the legs 42 thus extend from the lock body 16when the retainer 18 is inserted into the lock body 16. As shown in FIG.4, the ends 46 extend past the sides 36 of the lock body 16. The wearmember 14 has a pair of overhanging walls 48 which engage the respectiveends 46 of the legs 42 of the retainer 18 in order to resist transversemovement of the legs 42, and hence the lock, out of the opening 22. Thewalls 48 are located adjacent to and above the ends 46 of the legs 42and define respective cavities 50 within which the respective ends 46 ofeach of the legs 42 may be received.

[0038] As shown in FIG. 4, the overhanging walls 48 are provided by thewear member 14. Alternatively, the overhanging walls may be provided byanother structure. For example, the base member 12 may have a pair ofsurfaces for engaging the ends 46 of the legs 42. Alternatively, anotherstructure connected to the base member or wear member may be providedwith walls to interfere with transverse movement of the ends 46 of theretainer legs 42. While FIGS. 3 and 4 show the walls 48 spaced apartfrom one another in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinaldirection, the retainer engaging walls 48 may be longitudinally spacedapart from one another, as shown in FIG. 4A. In such an arrangement, onewall 48 a may be provided by the base member 12, while the other wall 48b is provided by the wear member 14. (The retainer 18 in FIG. 4A isoriented in a direction that is perpendicular to the direction depictedin FIG. 2.) FIG. 4B shows another embodiment in which the lock body 16is inserted between two base members 12 a and 12 b, each providing aretainer engaging wall 48.

[0039] In any event, the retainer engaging walls 48 engage the ends 46of the legs 42, thus resisting transverse movement of the lock body 16out of the opening 22. This prevents the lock body 16 from exiting theopening 22, and thus prevents the base member 12 and wear member 14 frommoving longitudinally with respect to one another.

[0040] In one embodiment, the retainer 18 is formed at least in partfrom an elastomeric or flexible material(s) so that the legs 42 may bebent and inserted into the channels 40. Preferably, the retainer 18 isformed from a polymeric material or composite material. The materialused for the retainer 18 may be chosen depending on the conditions ofthe particular application, such as the severity of the loads likely tobe encountered, the temperature, the material in which the lock assemblyis used, etc. For example, if the assembly 10 is to be used in anunderwater application, then a material having a higher coefficient offriction when wet would be preferred. If the assembly 10 is to be usedin a high temperature application, then a material such as a thermal-setplastic may be required which would not break down due to heat. If theassembly 10 is used in an extreme duty application, then steel orheat-treated aluminum may be bonded to the legs 42 of the retainer 18 toprovide additional shear strength. For hot-slag type applications, theretainer 18 may be made of spring steel instead of an elastomer.

[0041] When the retainer 18 is formed from a polymeric material, theretainer 18 may also optionally have an added steel portion bonded tothe hinge portion 44 to add strength without decreasing elasticity. Thisincreases the strength of the lock in assembly and eases removal byreducing the possibility of breakage of the hinge portion duringremoval. For example, FIG. 5 shows a preferred retainer 18 comprised ofan outer polymeric material 52 and having an inner steel insert 54. Thesteel insert 54 lends strength to the retainer, while the use of thepolymeric material 52 for the bulk of the retainer 18 insures that theretainer will be light-weight and flexible. The addition of steel orother strengthening material to the retainer is not required in mostapplications, but may be used in heavy duty or extreme dutyapplications.

[0042] To lock the assembly, the lock body 16 and retainer 18 areinserted into the opening 22. The retainer 18 is first partiallyinserted into the lock body 16 through the upper opening 38. FIG. 3illustrates the insertion of the flexible retainer 18 into the lock body16. The hinge portion 44 of the retainer 18 is bent, and the two legsare squeezed toward each other and inserted into the upper opening 38.The lock body 16 is then inserted into the opening 22. The retainer 18is pushed down, so as to push the legs 42 down into the channels 40.FIG. 4 illustrates the hinge portion 44 received within the upperopening 38 and the legs 42 received within the channels 40 of the lockbody 16.

[0043] It is preferred that the retainer 18 and the cavities within thelock body 16 (e.g. the upper opening 38 and channels 40) are sizedcorrespondingly so as to reduce the amount of space available for soilfines or other material to become impacted within the lock body 16. Inaddition, because the shape of the retainer corresponds to the shape ofthe upper opening 38 in channels 40, the retainer must be deformed orbent in order to be removed from the upper opening in the channels.Preferably, the retainer 18 returns to its relaxed shape when fullyinserted into the lock body, as illustrated in FIG. 4. While theretainer 18 is flexible, it nonetheless is sufficiently inelastic toresist deformation. Thus, to remove the retainer 18, a sufficient forcemust be applied to deform the retainer 18. The need to provide asufficient force to remove the retainer 18 means that the retainer 18 isheld more securely within the lock body 16.

[0044] To remove the lock body 16 from the opening 22, the retainer 18is removed from the lock body 16. Preferably, the lock body has a recess61 at the top center of the lock body 16 in communication with the upperopening 38 to aid in placing a pry tool under the hinge portion 44 ofthe retainer 18. Alternatively, the retainer 18 may simply have a lip 56which may be used to pry the hinge portion 44 out of the upper opening38. Once the hinge portion 44 has been pried out, the retainer may beeasily pulled out of the lock body 16. For example, when the hingeportion 44 is pushed slightly out of the upper opening 38, a pry toolmay be inserted underneath the hinge portion 44 in the space createdbetween the lock body 16 and the hinge portion 44.

[0045] After the retainer 18 has been removed, the lock body 16 may beremoved from the opening 22. The lock body travels out of the openingalong a path such that the lock body does not compact or displace asignificant amount of material, such as soil fines, within the opening.That is, the path that the lock body travels is such that once the topof the lock body has been cleared of material, the sides of the lockbody exit the opening by following within a substantial portion, andpreferably all of, the profile of the top of the lock body and withoutlateral movement within the opening that would require compacting ordisplacing soil fines in the opening. By “profile” is meant the outerperimeter of the upper or top portion of the lock body. For example, inthe embodiment shown in FIGS. 1-4, the lock body is pulled transverselystraight out of the opening, and does not pivot or move laterally withinthe opening in order to be removed. Thus, the lock body travels along apath that does not compact or displace a significant amount of materialwithin the opening. While it is preferred that the sides of the lockbody 16 follow entirely within the profile, nevertheless the lock bodymay have some projecting features, such as a take-up member (describedbelow), which displace a relatively small amount of material.

[0046] In addition, while the embodiment of FIGS. 1-4 shows transversemovement directly away from the wear member, the opening and lock bodymay be correspondingly shaped so that the lock body travels along acurved or inclined path but nonetheless may be removed without the needto displace a significant amount of material within the opening. Thus,the lock body may be arcuate and the opening may be correspondinglyshaped, such that the lock body rotates out of the opening.Alternatively, the lock body may be shaped like a rhombohedron andtranslated along an inclined path out of the opening. In general, as thelock body translates out of the opening, the profile of the lock bodydefines a volume of space. The shape of the lock body and opening arechosen so that the path the lock body travels as it exits out of theopening is such that the following sides of the lock body preferablyremain entirely within the defined volume as the lock body travels alongthe exit path. Thus, lock body shapes which taper from the top to thebottom or which are wedge-shaped are preferred.

[0047] Preferably, the lock body 16 substantially fills the opening 22.By “substantially fills” is meant that the lock body occupies at least85% of the volume of the opening 22, more preferably at least 90% of thevolume of the opening, and even more preferably at least 95% of thevolume of the opening. By substantially filling the opening 22, the lockbody 16 prevents the ingress of fines or other material which couldinterfere with removal of the lock body 16 from the opening 22. Inaddition, the top of the lock body is preferably flush with the exteriorsurface of the wear member, in a worn condition, so that a minimumamount of material must be cleared away to remove the lock body.

[0048] The locking assembly 10 provides several advantages. One of theadvantages of the present locking assembly is that the lock is extremelytolerant of fine materials, such as dirt, grit, sand and mud, which areencountered during earthmoving and excavating applications. In use,fines become impacted into locks. When it is desired to remove the lock,the fines must often be removed in order to allow the necessary movementof the lock so that it may be removed. However, the lock of the presentinvention overcomes these difficulties. The retainer 18 may be removedfrom the lock body 16 by simply grasping the hinge portion 44 andpulling the retainer legs 42 out of the channels 40. It is not necessaryto move the lock body 16 to remove the retainer 18. The lock body 16 maythen be pulled straight out of the opening 22 (that is, transversely)without the necessity of being rotated or moved sideways orlongitudinally within the opening 22. Thus, the lock body 16 does notneed to compact or displace any fines to be removed. This greatlyimproves the ease with which the lock may be removed from the opening 22in the wear member.

[0049] The use of the retainer 18 also allows the lock to withstand avery high load but yet be removed with a relatively small pry tool. Theprimary loads are directed along the longitudinal, rather than thetransverse direction. Thus, the lock body 16 may be formed of a rigid,incompressible and non-flexible material to withstand such loads.However, the retainer 18 is not subjected to the direct stress on thewear member 14, but rather only transverse movement of the lock body 16.Indeed, the majority of the retainer is housed within and protected bythe lock body. Since the load on the ends 46 of the legs 42 isrelatively small, light-weight, flexible materials may be used for theretainer 18.

[0050] The locking assembly 10 also has the advantage that the lock body16 may be reused many times by simply adding a new retainer 18. Thisrenews the engagement means of the lock body 16 and returns the lock toessentially its original strength.

[0051] The lock is also vibration resistant. When a light-weightmaterial, such as an elastomeric, polymeric material, is used for theretainer 18, the retainer 18 is so light that vibration has littleeffect on it. In addition, the force required to deform and remove theretainer, although minimal, is many times the weight of the retainer 18and the lock body 16. Therefore, even under extreme dynamic loads, thelock should remain in place in the opening 22. Thus, the lock may findparticular utility in applications subject to vibration, such asflywheels, vibration dampers, disc brakes etc.

[0052] The lock body 16 may also optionally include a take-up member 57to improve the fit of the lock body 16 within the opening 22 as shown inFIG. 1. For example, the lock body 16 may optionally be provided with alongitudinally extending bolt or a composite steel/elastomer insert.This allows the longitudinal thickness of the lock body 16 to beincreased, thus providing for a tighter fit within the opening 22. Ofcourse, if the take-up member extends too far away from the side of thelock body, it may, if too large, interfere with removal of the lock dueto displacement of a significant amount of soil fines above the take-upmember during removal.

[0053]FIG. 6 shows another embodiment of a lock body 16′ of the presentinvention. The lock body 16′ has a pair of pry ledges 58 located oneither side of the lock body 16′, and corresponding grooves 60 forreceiving the end of a pry tool. The pry ledges at the sides 36 of thelock body 16′ aid in prying the lock body 16′ out of the opening 22after the retainer 18 has been removed. In addition, the lock body 16′has a recess 61 at the top center of the lock body 16′ in communicationwith the upper opening 38 to aid in placing a pry tool under the hingeportion 44 of the retainer 18. The sides 36 of the lock body 16′ areslightly tapered, so that the upper portion 62 of the lock body 16′ isslightly wider than the lower portion 63 of the lock body. This reducesthe resistance to removal of the lock body 16′ from the opening 22,especially in the presence of impacted fines. In addition, the bottomcorners 64 are rounded. This also reduces resistance to removal of thelock body 16′ from the opening 22, and further allows the lock body 16′to pivot slightly when pried out of the opening 36.

[0054] FIGS. 7-9 show yet another embodiment of a lock 115 of thepresent invention. The lock 115 has a lock body 116 and a retainer 118.The lock body 116 has an upper opening 138 and a pair of channels 140.The channels 140 are open at the bottom of the lock body 116. The lockbody 116 also has an arch 168 extending above the upper opening 138 forgrasping the lock body 116. The retainer 118 has legs 142 and a hingeportion 144. The hinge portion 144 allows the legs 142 to be movedtoward and away from each other. The legs 142 themselves may be rigid ifdesired. The ends 146 of the legs 142 extend beyond the lock body 116 toretain the lock within the opening 22 as described above with respect tothe other embodiments of the invention.

[0055] The lock body 116 and retainer 118 have corresponding structuresto allow the lock body 116 and retainer 118 to be securely fastened toone another. In order to hold the retainer 118 in the lock body 116, thelock body 116 has a pair of upper shelves 170 located near the upperopening 138. The retainer 118 has a corresponding pair of fasteningmembers 180 connected to the hinge portion 144. In use, the hingeportion 144 is inserted through the channels 140 at the bottom of thelock body and into the upper opening 138. The fastening members 180squeeze past the shelves 170 and then snap back into shape, extendingover the shelves 170 as shown in FIG. 8. The shelves 170 prevent thefastening members 180 from being pulled back through the channels 140and out of the lock body 116. Conversely, the retainer 118 may beremoved by squeezing the fastening members 180 toward each other andpushing the retainer 118 down through the channels 140.

[0056] In addition, the lock body 116 and retainer 118 havecorresponding structures to allow the retainer legs 142 to be securelyfastened to the lock body 116. The lock body 116 has a pair of walls 172defining the channels 140 which terminate in lips 174. The lock body 116defines a pair of cavities 176 above and adjacent to the lips 174. Theretainer 118 has at each end an ear 182. Initially, when the lock 115 isinserted into the opening 22, the legs 142 are allowed to hang freelybeneath the lock body 116 as shown in FIG. 7. Once the lock body 116 isfully inserted into the opening 22, the legs 142 are received in thechannels 140, and the ears 182 push over the lips 174 so as to bereceived within the cavities 176. The corresponding engagement of thelips 174 with the ears 182 causes the ends 146 to resist transversemovement of the lock body 116 out of the opening 22. In addition, a pin183 may be inserted through the lock body 116 and through the legs 142to further secure the retainer within the lock body.

[0057] As in the case of the retainer 18 of FIGS. 1-4, the retainer 118must be deformed (that is, the hinge portion 144 and/or legs 142 must bestretched outward and the ears 182 pulled over the lips 174) to removethe retainer. The retainer's resistance to deformation thus acts tosecure the retainer 118 in the lock body 116.

[0058] One of the advantages of this embodiment of the invention is thatthe lock may be removed in a single step. To remove the lock 115 fromthe opening 22, the arch 168 is either pulled or pried. The ears 182 arepulled out of the cavities 176, so that the ends 146 no longer resisttransverse movement of the lock body 116 out of the opening 22. Thefastening members 180, however, continue to hold the retainer 118 withinthe lock body 116. Thus, the retainer 118 and lock body 116 are removedfrom the opening 22 in a single step.

[0059]FIG. 10 shows yet another alternative embodiment of a lock 200 ofthe present invention. This embodiment is like the embodiment shown inFIGS. 1-4, with the exception that the retainer 202 comprises severalrigid members rather than a single flexible member. Referring to FIG.10, the lock body 204 has an upper opening 206 and a pair of channels208 just like those of the embodiment of FIGS. 3-4. The channels 208progressively narrow from the upper opening 206 toward the sides 210.The retainer comprises three separate members. The retainer has two legs212. The legs 212 are wedge shaped so as to be retained within the twochannels 208 and not exit out the sides 210. The retainer also has a cap214, which prevents the legs 212 from exiting out of the upper opening206. The cap 214 fits into the upper opening 206 and covers the upperends of the two legs 212. This embodiment has the advantage that thelegs may be formed from relatively stiff material so as to withstandgreater loads than retainers having flexible legs, and thus may besuitable for heavy duty applications.

[0060] The cap 214 may be retained in the upper opening 206 by anyconventional method. As shown in FIG. 10, the cap 214 is retained by alock member such as a key 216. The key 216 is inserted through a bore inthe retainer (not shown) so that a lower portion is received within akeyhole 218 in the lock body. In the embodiment depicted in FIG. 10, thekey 216 is rotated after insertion into the keyhole 218 to retain thecap 214. Alternatively, the cap 214 could be retained with a bolt orother mechanical device. As yet another alternative, the cap 214 couldbe flexible and inserted underneath a projecting ledge or lip of thelock body so as to be retained within the upper opening. As yet anotheralternative, the cap and lock member may be combined into a singlemember.

[0061] While the various embodiments of the retainer have been shownhaving two legs, it is possible to retain the lock body within theopening using a retainer having only a single leg. Thus, the presentinvention encompasses retainers having one or more legs. In addition,the lock body may be retained using multiple retainers.

[0062] While FIGS. 1-4 depict a base member 12 and wear member 14, thelock assembly may be used with any two members which may be coupledtogether. The members do not necessarily need to be attached to asurface. For example, referring now to FIGS. 11-13, a point 300 andadapter nose 302 are shown. The top and bottom surfaces of the adapternose engage the corresponding interior surfaces of the socket of thepoint so as to resist transverse movement of the point with respect tothe adapter. The lock body 304 is inserted into an opening 306 in thepoint 300, which communicates with a recess 308 in the nose 302. Thelock is inserted into the opening 306 so as to resist longitudinalmovement of the point 300 with respect to the adapter nose 302. WhileFIGS. 11-13 show the lock at the side of the point and nose,alternatively, the lock may be placed at other locations, such as thetop of the point and nose.

[0063] The cross-sectional view of FIG. 13 shows a channel 312 in thelock body and an end 314 of a leg of the retainer 310. The end 314 ofthe retainer 310 extends into a cavity 316 defined by the point 300.Thus, when inserted into the channel 312, the retainer 310 prevents thelock body 304 from being pivoted out of the recess 308 and the opening306.

[0064] The retainer may be held in position by any mechanical means thatprevents the retainer from becoming dislodged from the channel 312. Forexample, in the embodiment shown in FIGS. 11-13, the retainer 310 isflexible, so that it may be inserted into the channel 312. The retainerhas a distal portion 318 that is received within a recess 320 in thelock body 304. The engagement of the distal portion 318 with an interiorwall 322 of the lock body 304 prevents the retainer 310 from becomingdisplaced from the channel 312. To remove the retainer 310, a pry toolmay be inserted into the slot 324, and the retainer 310 may be bent andextracted from the channel 312.

[0065] The embodiment of FIGS. 11-13 has the same advantage as the otherlock embodiments in that the lock body 304 may be removed without theneed to displace a significant amount of soil fines. The lock body 304is removed from the opening 306 by prying the lock body so as to pivotthe lock body out of the opening. The path of removal of the lock bodydoes not require any movement or displacement of soil fines within theopening.

[0066] The terms and expressions which have been employed in theforegoing specification are used therein as terms of description and notof limitation, and there is no intention, in the use of such terms andexpressions, of excluding equivalents of the features shown anddescribed or portions thereof, it being recognized that the scope of theinvention is defined and limited only by the claims which follow.

1. A lock assembly, comprising: (a) a first member, a second member, anda lock; (b) said first member and said second member being moveablelongitudinally with respect to one another into coupling engagement, andsaid first member and said second member having respective engagingsurfaces to resist transverse movement of said first member and saidsecond member with respect to one another when said first member andsaid second member are in coupling engagement; (c) said first member andsaid second member each having a lock engaging wall, and said secondmember defining an opening between said lock engaging wall of said firstmember and said lock engaging wall of said second member when said firstmember and said second member are in coupling engagement, said openingreceiving said lock to resist longitudinal movement of said first memberwith respect to said second member; (d) said lock comprising a lock bodyand a retainer, said lock body defining a channel in communication witha side of said lock body; and (e) said retainer being located at leastpartially within said channel, a portion of said retainer extendingbeyond said side so as to interfere with removal of said lock body fromsaid opening.
 2. The lock assembly of claim 1 wherein said lock bodytravels along a path that does not require significant displacement ofsoil fines to remove said lock body from said opening.
 3. The lockassembly of claim 1 wherein said lock body substantially fills saidopening.
 4. The lock assembly of claim 1 wherein said first member is abase member and said second member is a wear member.
 5. The lockassembly of claim 1 wherein said first member is a nose of an adapterand said second member is a point.
 6. The lock assembly of claim 1wherein said retainer has a pair of legs and a hinge portion, and saidlegs are capable of being moved toward each other.
 7. The lock assemblyof claim 6 wherein said lock body has an opening in communication withsaid channels, and said hinge portion is received within said opening.8. The lock assembly of claim 1 wherein said retainer is formed at leastpartially from an elastomeric material.
 9. The lock assembly of claim 1wherein said retainer is formed at least partially from metal.
 10. Thelock assembly of claim 1, further comprising a retainer engaging walllocated on one of said first member and said second member.
 11. The lockassembly of claim 1 wherein said retainer is unitary.
 12. The lockassembly of claim 1 wherein said retainer comprises separate members.13. The lock assembly of claim 1 wherein said lock body is tapered sothat the bottom of said lock body is narrower than the top of said lockbody.
 14. The lock assembly of claim 1 further comprising a lock memberfastening said retainer to said lock body.
 15. The lock assembly ofclaim 1 wherein said retainer is deformable and is in a relaxedcondition when fully inserted into said lock body.
 16. A lock,comprising: (a) a rigid, substantially incompressible lock body, saidlock body being generally block shaped, and said lock body defining anopening and a pair of channels in communication with said opening and incommunication with opposite sides of said lock body; and (b) a retainerhaving a hinge portion and a pair of legs terminating in respectiveends, said hinge portion being receivable within said opening and eachof said pair of legs being receivable within a respective one of saidpair of channels, and said ends of said legs extending beyond said sidesof said lock body.
 17. The lock of claim 16 wherein said retainer isdeformable.
 18. The lock of claim 16 wherein said lock body has a groovelip for prying said retainer out of said lock body.
 19. The lock ofclaim 16 wherein said retainer is at least partially formed from anelastomer.
 20. The lock of claim 16 wherein said retainer has a pair offastening members and said lock body has a pair of shelves for engagingsaid fastening member.
 21. The lock of claim 16 wherein said lock bodyis tapered so as to be narrower at the bottom of said lock body than thetop of said lock body.
 22. The lock of claim 16, further comprising alongitudinal take-up member.
 23. The lock of claim 16 wherein said lockbody further comprises a pry ledge for receiving a pry tool.
 24. Amethod for locking a first member to a second member, said first memberand said second member being moveable longitudinally into couplingengagement, comprising: (a) providing a lock comprised of a lock bodyand a retainer; (b) providing said first member and said second memberwith respective engaging surfaces to resist transverse movement of saidfirst member and said second member with respect to one another whensaid first member and said second member are in coupling engagement; (c)providing said first member and said second member each with a lockengaging wall, and defining in said second member an opening betweensaid lock engaging wall of said first member and said lock engaging wallof said second member when said first member and said second member arein coupling engagement for receiving said lock to resist longitudinalmovement of said first member with respect to said second member; (d)defining a channel in said lock body in communication with a side ofsaid lock body; (e) inserting said lock body into said opening; and (f)inserting said retainer into said channel of said lock body so that aportion of said retainer extends beyond said side of said lock body andinterferes with removal of said lock out of said opening.
 25. The methodof claim 24 wherein said retainer is deformed to insert said retainerinto said channel.
 26. The method of claim 24 wherein said lock body isinserted into said opening before said retainer is inserted into saidlock body.
 27. The method of claim 24 wherein said retainer is at leastpartially inserted into said lock body before said lock body is insertedinto said opening.
 28. The method of claim 24, further comprising thestep of unlocking said assembly by removing said lock from said opening,comprising the step of removing said retainer from said channel and thestep of moving said lock body from said opening without significantlydisplacing any soil fines within said opening.
 29. The method of claim24 wherein said lock body is inserted into said opening by hand.
 30. Themethod of claim 24 wherein said lock body is removed with a pry tool.31. The method of claim 24 wherein said lock body is provided withanother channel and said retainer is formed to have a hinge portion anda pair of legs.